Shaquille O’Neill: The 325lb Goalkeeper

By: Daryl | March 2nd, 2009

Wow. Seems our can basketballers play soccer? post is part of a trend. The very next day, Chris found a vid of football vs basketball freestylers, and now there’s this.

It’s man-giant Shaquille O’Neill of the Phoenix Suns (and, let’s not forget, the movie Steel) fame, facing a penalty kick from Brazilian teammate Leandro Barbosa (I think) in training. LB shoots, Shaq saves, Shaq celebrates.

How would a 325lb keeper do in professional football? I’d guess not great, although Jeroen “pizza!” Verhoeven is making enough to eat. Clearly. And at 36, Shaq is more or less in his goalkeeping prime. Maybe if Tim Howard gets injured?

Good to know that the Phoenix Suns’ players with foreign roots like Steve Nash – who managed to score past Shaq according to the vid – and Leandro Barbosa (LB in the vid, right?) are spreading the beautiful game to old(er) NBA guys like Shaq.

Sidenote: Have you ever tried kicking a basketball? I did once and two things happened:

1) I bruised my big toe, and
2) My P.E. teacher yelled at me.

So all respect to Nash and LB for risking injury in the name of soccer.

[Vid sent to us by Soccer Training Info, but also spotted by Andrea of Chivas Offside last week.]

	Soccer Forums	Team/International Results

Category: World Football

Tags: Basketball, football, NBA, Phoenix Suns, Rudy Fernandez, soccer, Steel, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, World Football

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Comments  

• Hawk |  March 2nd, 2009 at 5:35 am

  
  
  

  You don’t kick a ball with your toe in the first place! When I kick a Bball I notice that it has a lot more spin, probably because it has more friction (grip). It dosen’t go as hard though.

  Posted from Armenia

  

• tom |  March 2nd, 2009 at 8:05 am

  
  
  

  Pizza!

  Posted from Germany

  

• Andrea |  March 2nd, 2009 at 8:06 am

  
  
  

  I love the Suns…

  Yes, that’s Leandro Barbosa. I guess they were expecting him to make it since he’s Brazilian but Shaq was too much for him.

  Next, I’d like to see the Sun’s Gorilla try.

  Posted from United States

  

• alessio |  March 2nd, 2009 at 8:49 am

  
  
  

  For a Brazilian, that was a godawful penalty!

  Posted from Spain

  

• Mustafa |  March 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 am

  
  
  

  I live in phoenix, home of the Suns, and there are lots of soccer related moments that i can recall… one of my favorites was before a game, and Leandro (who, in my opinion, needs to drop the last name and simply go by ‘Leandrinho’, like he did in Brazil) and Nash and Raja Bell (who is from the Virgin Islands) were just juggling the basketball back and forth, and it was really cool….

  By the way, Nash is REALLY good, and the youtubes are littered with videos of him doing stuff like this
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0o2mC5bDE
  and this
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXoiEDs_a0E

  Posted from United States

  

• Peter |  March 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 pm

  
  
  

  Don’t mean to be an ass but Nash is Canadian, soccer is just as big there as it is here in the states (which means growing but not too popular). We essentially have similar cultures and sport cultures (with more of an emphasis on the winter sports up in Canada).

  Posted from United States

  

• Mike |  March 2nd, 2009 at 12:21 pm

  
  
  

  lol, whenever the basket balls would come out in gym I’d just juggle them.

  and then get yelled at.

  Posted from United States

  

• Peter |  March 2nd, 2009 at 12:22 pm

  
  
  

  And yes Nash is very good but its not because he is a foreigner spreading the game.

  Posted from United States

  

• Daryl |  March 2nd, 2009 at 12:35 pm

  
  
  

  I know Steve Nash is Canadian, but as I understand it he was born in South Africa.

  I assumed that meant he had some South African upbringing, but according to Wikipedia his family moved to Canada when he was just 18 months old. So yeah, maybe he’s not as foreign as I thought.

  Posted from United States

  

• Andrea |  March 2nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm

  
  
  

  Also, Nash’s brother plays for the Canadian National team so his family had to have some soccer love around the house.

  Posted from United States

  

• alessio |  March 2nd, 2009 at 2:44 pm

  
  
  

  Nash’s brother used to play for my hometown footy team. Nice guy. I wonder if he gets a little financial support from his bro or not.

  Posted from Spain

  

• matt |  March 2nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm

  
  
  

  didnt nash’s dad play for spurs? or try out for them or somethin too?

  Posted from United States

  

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